445nm Build Help?

[starlight]

I have used Radio Shack stuff for 20 years. This picture has a 30w solder iron a 150/230w solder gun some solder spools and a tub of flux ALL from Radio Shack.

 

[Nute]

Lowe's Home improvement has Weller soldering irons for $15-$20 and will be all you will ever need for your laser building needs. I would recommend building in a Maglite personally. You will not ever have to work about over heating, and have much more room to work inside of it. Also, there is a WIDE range of batter configs you can use since the battery tube is so big. I even have a 3D Maglite running off of 2 16340's, as crazy as that sounds. If you need any help with a Mag build or need an affordable heatsink for one, shoot me a PM. I hope this helps.

-Nute

 

[Blarg King]

I've got a 45 watt Weller soldering iron. I'm very pleased with it, I've soldered everything from PCB electronics to the red laser I made all the way up to big thick high current wires for my car.

Get one with multiple tips. Its nice to use a skinny tip for electronics and a larger tip for bigger wires and stuff.

Edit: Also a lot of the Weller ones have LED's in the handle that shine onto whatever you're working on. Pretty handy.

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

If you don't want to wait, Harbor Freight
has third hand tools and some other stuff.
Don't buy their solder or irons, though.
You have to be careful about what you buy
there. A lot of their stuff is junk, so
try not to get too excited when you walk in
there and see all the metalworking
equipment, etc.

This is the solder I use.

386844 Multicore | 82-117-ND | DigiKey

Buy flux from Flaminpyro.
He has the best stuff.
You will need it.

 

[Gadget]

Man...I just bought a Hakko N452 a few days ago, and all I can say is...I don't know how I got along with all the junk Weller and no-name irons all these years! I never could get a bright joint, they were always hazy. Not completely cold, just not bright.

First solder joint with the Hakko and I was hooked. Worth every penny! I also got several tips for it.

-G

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi,
I've been using a 60w iron with a fine point tip. At 60w it reaches temp fast and recovery time is short. As crazyspaz said 63/37 solder is perfect, don't be afraid of fluxing it makes the job easier. Pretin the wire ends first before you solder two wires together. When you do this pretinng one wire over the other flush, now only touch the iron to the wire for about two seconds. This will fuse the pretinned wire together immediately, don't keep going over the joint this will cause the solder to overheat and you will get a rough finished solder joint. And the solder will become like gooey not good. I've built 14 lasers like this all come out clean and solid. When you heat shrink slide the heat shrink tube as far back from the solder joint as possible so heat transfer doesn't shrink the tube prematurely. You will only have to touch the joint very briefly not to cause heat traveling up the wire remember its a tiny wire won't take much. Hope this helps practice on small pieces of wore fist till your sure of yourself take your time. You'll be proud of yourself with a professional looking job. Get your self helping hands at radio shack or online with magnifying power of 2x to5x. Hope this helps have questions just mail me here on LPF. Your going to love this building lasers it's addicting.
Rich...

 

[joeyss]

FYI a 40w watt soldering iron can melt pure lead pellets with ease.

Mines able to be run off DC too and it's a craftsman one.

Does anyone know if they make AC dimmer cords? so i can run it at a lower power without using my lab suppply. ( I want to melt some plastic)

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

Does anyone know if they make AC dimmer cords? so i can run it at a lower power without using my lab suppply.

You can make your own. Take the guts out
of one of an old halogen lamp and attach the
soldering iron where the bulb was.

( I want to melt some plastic)

Don't use a soldering iron to melt plastic.
Get a wood burning kit and use that.
Once burnt plastic gets all over the tip, it
will never work right again.